Does my guinea pig have mites?

Question

My guinea pig has had flaky skin since i purchased her(2 years ago). About 2 weeks ago i noticed it got worse especially round her bottom. It has gone slightly scabby and seems to be worse in hotter weather. I changed her bedding just before it got worse (2 weeks ago) to towels which are washed about 2-3 times a week. I took her to the vet but she noted it down as lack of vitamin c. She also has a bald patch and im really worried just incase it will turn serious. However she looks and behaves as normal but her skin has its ups and downs.

My other guinea pig has also got it but has only had it for about a week so i am thinking it might be mites but im not sure.

What do you think? please answer asap!!!

Answer 1

its not really a big deal even if they do,

you cant catch it.

she may have it,

try giving them a bath

or spraying them with a leave on formula,

thats what i did with mine and it went away after a week or so

you can find some cheap products here-

http://www.google.com/products?q=spray+f...

Answer 2

Firstly stop worrying! Mine had and still occassionally have that problem. GP's always have a constant turn around of small white mites that if you look closely near the root of their fur you will see them. And certain conditions can increase them causing the problem that your are describing. I solve this by giving hem a bath twice a week. I just put warm water in my bath about 1-2inch deep, with only a little baby oil to soothe the skin yet help clean it. I also lay a towel down on the bottom of the bath because they generally are better when they can grip ad learn to relax more. Also after the bath maybe rub just a tiny amount of antiseptic/suda cream on her bum/bottom of back. Then warp her up in a towel to keep her war and just sit down and gently dry her. My GP's absoloutely love this and alot of the time fall asleep in my arms.

Another option could be to use a nice bedding such as them bags of shredded dish cloths that you can get and then change them every day. Also clean them out every other day until she is better. My glyns both have a small allergy to shavings so i have to be careful with keeping their cage clean and adding a lot of hay.

Make sure that you give them a run on the grass every day or if not a handul of veg, such as, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, beans brocolli.

Good luck with your glyns! .x.